Paying Attention to Adult ADHD

New awareness and diagnostic tools are helping of us understand how our brains work

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Growing up, Suzanne Smith* always thought she was dyslexic or had some sort of learning disorder.

The Baltimore, Maryland-based artist says she daydreamed during class and doodled on her work, eventually falling behind. She was clumsy, often breaking things or making a mess. Throughout her childhood, she was called quirky and eccentric—traits that people would attribute to her creative personality.

"I found different ways to cope and just accepted that this is me," she says. But eventually, "it got to the point where I was really not functioning well, and my relationship with my husband was taking a hit." Smith describes herself as “disorganized” and says she finds it hard to focus, making everyday household tasks like cooking and cleaning very challenging for her.

"It is an unfair division of labour, and that was resulting in resentment," she says.

Smith began doing some research online and reached out to the University of Maryland Psychology Clinic, which offers sliding-fee scale mental health evaluations. After undergoing an assessment there in August 2024, she was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at the age of 54. She's now part of a growing number of people who have been diagnosed with ADHD as adults.

A 2023 report found that roughly three out of every 100 adults globally live with ADHD. In the US, over half of the people with the condition received their diagnosis in adulthood. ADHD diagnoses among adults have been rising over the last two decades, but in 2020, when many of us were spending more time online, the number of adults seeking treatment sharply increased.